Quidditch and Romance Don't Mix
by CommonSense
Summary: Nicola just wants to finish her Seventh Year unscathed, but Fred has other plans.
1. Ink

_**Disclaimer**_ _\- I own Nicola, Clara, and Tristan, no one else._

 _ **A/N**_ _\- This takes place during the twins' and Nicola's Seventh Year._

* * *

 **Chapter One: Ink**

A faint scratching sound cut through the tense silence in the library as Nicola's quill scribbled furiously on her parchment. She tucked an errant strand of ebony hair behind her ear and continued writing. Her table was covered with books of various shapes and sizes, all splayed open to reveal their contents. She set her quill down momentarily to snatch one of the smaller texts and place it in front of her. Nicola's intense sapphire gaze flitted across the pages several times as if searching for something in particular.

"Of course," she muttered, before picking up her quill and returning to her parchment. She was so enveloped in her work that she failed to notice her quill had been swapped out. As soon as the new quill touched the parchment, it exploded. Nicola sputtered as sticky blue ink covered her face. A young Hufflepuff boy who had been studying at the table next to hers looked up at the noise. He snickered quietly until Nicola fixed him with a penetrating glare.

She glanced frantically around the book-filled room, thankful that the noise hadn't attracted the attention of Madam Pince. Lowering her gaze to her table, Nicola assessed the damage to her things. The books she had been using seemed to be free of ink, but her face and clothes hadn't fared so well. She retrieved her wand from inside her bag and pointed it at herself.

"Tergeo," she whispered. Nothing happened. Knitting her brow, she tried again. Still nothing happened. Evidently the ink was impervious to cleaning spells.

"Bollocks," she cursed, "I'll have to finish this essay tomorrow."

Nicola flourished her wand at the books in front of her and, one by one, they closed themselves and flew back to the appropriate shelves. She packed up the rest of her things and slung her bag over her shoulder. As she was about to leave, she spied the remains of the trick quill on the table. Not wanting to risk another student attempting to use it, Nicola snatched it up and hurried out of the library.

She stopped abruptly as she entered the hallway. She could have sworn she heard a muffled giggling coming from behind a tapestry of an armored knight on a horse. She strode over to the tapestry and whipped it aside with her free hand. Standing side by side in a small alcove behind the hanging were none other than Fred and George Weasley. The two redheads had identical smiles plastered on their freckled faces.

"As I live and breathe," said Fred, pressing a hand to his chest in mock surprise.

"If it isn't Miss Nicola Kingsley," George finished, mimicking Fred's pose.

Nicola responded with a scowl. The twins looked her up and down before continuing.

Fred stifled another giggle, "We don't mean to alarm you,"

"But you seem to have some ink on your face. Right there," George pointed to her nose.

Nicola felt the trick quill in her palm as she clenched her fists in anger.

"Your property," she spat, flinging the quill at their smug faces before turning to leave, "Please refrain from testing your new products on me in the future."

"Aw, but you look so good in blue!" Fred called after her, as George twirled the now useless quill in between his fingers.

* * *

Nicola trudged through the stone entrance to the Slytherin common room, almost bowling over a first year.

"Sorry," she murmured, ignoring the quizzical look she received from the young girl. Nicola had been the recipient of that look from almost every student she passed on the way to the dungeons. Understandably, she was becoming increasingly more desperate to get to her dormitory and wash the magical ink off of her face once and for all.

She ignored the rest of her Slytherin housemates as she made her way through the common room and up the stairs to the dormitory she shared with the other seventh year girls. She closed the door behind her and prayed that none of her bunkmates were hanging around.

"What in Merlin's name happened to your face?"

The only other person in the room: a tall, skinny girl stood up from her bed and strolled over to examine Nicola. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun and her square glasses sat perched on her nose, framing her vivid green eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it, Clara," Nicola sighed, skirting around her friend. She shrugged off her book bag before collapsing face first into her bed. Clara drifted over to the four-poster and leaned against it nonchalantly.

"Weasley twins again?"

"Mmmph," Nicola's reply was muffled by her duvet.

Clara kicked at Nicola's feet playfully until she rolled over to face the ceiling.

"It's magical ink. Spells don't work on it," she admitted, frowning.

"So take a shower, dummy. Unless you want to go to dinner looking like that."

Nicola groaned and reluctantly extracted herself from her bed. She plucked her towel from the hook and closed the bathroom door behind her. She surveyed her clothes as she disrobed, noting that the ink was mostly on her shirt and tie.

"Hopefully the house elves know how to remove magical ink," she muttered as she chucked everything in the laundry bin.

After fifteen minutes of vigorous scrubbing, Nicola's face still looked like a blueberry. She sighed in defeat and wrapped her towel around her midsection. She heard Clara stifle a snort as she shuffled back into the dormitory.

"Oh, honey. That is some serious ink."

Nicola pouted, "Do you think it's permanent?"

"I don't think so. The twins are prats, but they're not evil. I'm sure it will wear off eventually," Clara placed a comforting hand on Nicola's shoulder, "Do you want me to bring you some dinner?"

Nicola nodded, changing into her pajamas.

"Alright, I'll be back soon," Clara flashed her a reassuring smile before leaving.

Nicola settled into bed and grabbed a paperback novel off her bedside table. On the cover was a picture of an elegant young woman in a high-waisted dress. This was one of many muggle regency romance novels Nicola had collected over the years; they were a guilty pleasure of hers. She loved escaping into a world where men and women were so passionate about love. She wished she could one day find a man like the ones in her books, but boys at Hogwarts were more interested in Quidditch than having an actual conversation.

Nicola was two chapters in when Clara returned, juggling two plates piled high with food.

"Sorry that took so long," Clara apologized, handing Nicola a plate and a fork, "Kenneth wouldn't stop hounding me about our Ancient Runes project. I swear that boy is going to be the death of me."

Nicola smiled and shoveled some mashed potatoes into her mouth. She had been so focused on her predicament that she hadn't realized how hungry she was. She was munching happily on a lamb chop when Clara gasped and pointed at her.

Nicola raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Clara grinned, "The ink is disappearing!"

Nicola snatched up a small mirror from her bedside table and studied her face. Sure enough, the ink was gradually fading away.

"Thank Merlin," Nicola sighed with relief, "I did not want to go to class tomorrow looking like that."

"I dunno, I think you were a cute little blueberry," Clara teased, pinching Nicola's cheek. Nicola swatted her hand away and laughed before picking up her plate and grabbing another forkful of lamb chop.


	2. Hogsmeade

**Chapter Two: Hogsmeade**

Nicola relished the feel of the crisp autumn air on her face as she all but skipped down the path to Hogsmeade. It was the first week of October, which meant that most of the Hogwarts students were making their way down to the wizarding village for the first visit of the school year.

"Slow down, will you?" called Clara from several feet behind her, "The village isn't going anywhere."

Nicola stopped and pouted playfully as she waited for Clara to catch up. She received a hair rustle from her tall friend in return.

"It's so nice to be out of that stuffy castle," Nicola said, kicking at some of the crunchy fall leaves that littered the path.

"Tell me about it," Clara agreed, "If I had to spend one more second reading about defensive magical theory I was going to go positively barmy."

Nicola groaned, "That Umbridge woman is just awful. I mean, we've had some dodgy Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers in the past, but she takes the cake."

"At least you don't share a desk with Cassius," Clara lamented, "He can't get enough of her; thinks she's a bloody visionary."

Nicola rolled her eyes, linking arms with Clara and steering her toward Honeydukes. The shop bell clanged as they entered and the sweet smell of chocolate filled their nostrils. Nicola grinned as she made her way down one of the aisles toward the toffees.

Half an hour later, Clara dragged her forcefully out of the shop. A bag full of toffees and candy swung from Nicola's arm.

"I was just stocking up," Nicola complained, "We won't be back until February."

Clara laughed, "You have an addiction."

The two girls continued down the row of shops, weaving in and out of groups of chattering students.

"Can we go to Zonko's? Please?" Clara asked, fixing Nicola with her best innocent stare. Nicola groaned, knowing that a trip to Zonko's likely meant seeing the Weasley twins.

She had a colored history with the red headed tricksters. Like the rest of the school, they had a prejudice against Nicola and her fellow Slytherins. It seemed like every few days one of her housemates was on the receiving end of one of their pranks, though some of them probably deserved it for provoking the troublemakers. Nicola had never done anything to incite the twins, but if her previous interactions with them were any indication, they simply enjoyed teasing her for the fun of it.

"Fine," Nicola conceded, "But only because I like you."

"Yay!" Clara clapped excitedly before grabbing Nicola by the arm and pulling her into the joke shop.

Zonko's was teeming with students, all milling around the aisles marveling at the mountains of incredible products. Clara and Nicola squeezed past a group of third years who seemed fascinated with the Nose-Biting Teacups and made their way to the back of the shop. Clara browsed the shelves, inspecting every product in turn. Nicola stood lost in thought, idly thumbing through a deck of Exploding Snap cards.

"Careful, you might blow off a finger."

The familiar voice was barely more than a whisper. Nicola dropped the pack of cards, causing them to hit the floor and scatter. She audibly groaned as she turned around, coming face to face with none other than Fred Weasley. He had a trademark smirk on his face and a bag of Zonko's merchandise in his hand.

Nicola willed herself to seem nonchalant as she asked, "Where's your other half?"

"He and Lee are buying a few more things. Are you going to pick those up?" he gestured to the mess of cards at her feet.

Nicola crossed her arms over her chest, "Maybe. Why do you care?"

Fred held back a chuckle and shrugged, "Just curious."

Nicola stood her ground, narrowing her eyes at him, "Whatever you're planning on doing, just do it."

He reeled back in mock surprise, "Whatever do you mean? Can't I just have a lovely chat with a fellow student without having an ulterior motive?"

Nicola raised an eyebrow and fixed him with an incredulous stare. Fred's chocolate brown eyes sparkled with mirth as his mouth spread into a grin. He lifted his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, you caught me. I saw you daydreaming and I thought it might be fun to come tease you."

Nicola huffed, causing him to grin even wider.

"I was right," he said, winking at her rakishly. Nicola simply scowled at him.

"Oi, Fred!" George shouted from the front of the shop, "Hurry up or we'll be late!"

Fred flashed Nicola a smug smile before following his twin out the door.

"What was that about?" Clara asked, her hands full of Hiccough Sweets.

Nicola shook her head, exasperated, "I honestly have no clue. That boy is mental."

Clara laughed, "Well that's nothing new. Come on, I need to pay for these."

"Alright, but then can we go to the Three Broomsticks?" Nicola asked as she followed her friend to the front of the shop, "I need a Butterbeer."


	3. Quidditch and Snowballs

**Chapter Three: Quidditch and Snowballs**

Nicola pushed her eggs around on her plate, not feeling very hungry. It was the morning of the first Slytherin versus Gryffindor Quidditch match and tensions were high in the Great Hall. Nicola didn't care much for the game, and the fervor it incited in people made her uneasy. Her fellow housemates had been making trouble, as usual, and had taken to attempting to hex the Gryffindor players in the corridors between classes.

"Now that's dedication," Clara remarked, pointing to a Ravenclaw girl standing by the Gryffindor table. She had a massive lion hat perched atop her head and had evidently charmed it, as a loud roar echoed across the room full of students.

Nicola managed a weak smile, "It's a wonder she doesn't fall over."

Clara opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the arrival of Miles Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper.

"Mornin' ladies, care for a badge?" he asked as he held out a handful of glittering golden crowns engraved with the phrase 'Weasley is our king'. Clara glared at Miles, shoving his hand away forcefully.

"We're not taking part in your idiocy, thanks."

Miles shrugged and moved down the table, offering the badges to another group of students.

Nicola sighed, "I swear Quidditch makes them dumber."

"It serves them right for not letting any girls join," Clara huffed, "All the other houses have girls on their team, and I'd make a brilliant Chaser."

"It's their loss," Nicola said, grinning at her friend.

The two of them made an attempt to finish their breakfasts and headed out to the pitch among the throng of students. They sat at the edge of the Slytherin section, preferring to be closer to the Hufflepuffs in case whatever stunt their housemates were planning on pulling got ugly. Nicola was fussing with her scarf, attempting to shield her neck from the cold November air, when a large figure appeared beside her.

"Mind if I join you?" asked the tall, thin young man in Slytherin robes as he gestured at the space next to Nicola.

Clara's face brightened, "Hey Tristan! Go ahead, take a seat!"

Nicola nodded in greeting as he took a seat next to her. Tristan was the most bearable of the Seventh Year Slytherin boys, which Nicola credited to him being the only one not on the Quidditch team. He was also a Prefect, and as such he was usually the one to chide his bunkmates for causing trouble. She noted an absence of the 'Weasley is our king' badge on his robes and gave him a warm smile. He returned the smile, his hazel eyes connecting with her sapphire blue gaze.

"You girls looking forward to the match?" he inquired.

"More or less," Clara responded, "I don't have high hopes for our new Beaters, though."

Having no interest in the sport, Nicola let the two of them continue on about the match, using the time to give Tristan a once over. The past summer had been good to him. His muscles had finally filled in, giving him a manly figure rather than the tall gangly one she remembered. His short crop of wavy brunette hair kept falling into his eyes, and the way he reached up to run a hand through it was adorable. Nicola's reverie was interrupted by the students around her erupting into cheers as both teams entered the pitch.

Soon the whistle sounded and the game was on. Nicola did her best to pay attention, but Quidditch really wasn't her forte. It didn't help that a large group of Slytherins had taken to singing a terrible song about the new Gryffindor Keeper. The match finally ended when the Gryffindor Keeper, that Potter boy, caught the Snitch and was promptly knocked off his broom by a Bludger hit by one of Slytherin's new Beaters.

"Idiot," Clara hissed as the players landed one by one on the pitch.

Now that the game was over, the students and teachers had started filing out of the stands and back toward the castle. Nicola was about to descend the stairs when she caught a flash of red hair on the field. Potter and one of the twins, she couldn't tell which at this distance, were sprinting at the Slytherin Seeker Malfoy. Suddenly the three of them were nothing more than a mass of bodies and fists as they fell to the ground fighting. Madam Hooch managed to break them up and the whole lot of them marched out of the pitch.

Nicola shook her head as she turned to descend the staircase, "Quidditch players."

* * *

The next morning the castle and the grounds were covered in a thick blanket of snow. From her perch on the castle steps, Nicola gazed out at the grounds. Many students had donned their winter clothes to engage in fun activities in the fresh snow, like tobogganing and snowball fighting. Nicola's eyes strayed to the lake, where several people were skating on its frozen surface. She took a deep breath and began the trek to the lake through two feet of snow. As the wind nipped at her face, Nicola wished for Clara's company, but her friend had holed herself up in the library to finish the Potions essay they had due the next day. She made it halfway to the lake when she heard a distant voice.

"Heads up!"

She turned to look for the source of the commotion and was promptly hit in the face with a snowball. She fell backward, the cold snow encompassing her body.

"Perfect," Nicola mumbled, wiping the snow off her face, but not bothering to right herself. She heard footsteps approaching, muffled by the snow, and looked up.

"Still alive?" asked a beaming Fred Weasley, offering her a hand.

Nicola reluctantly accepted his extended hand and he lifted her out of the snow in one swift move. His hand settled on her waist as he made sure she was steady. It occurred to Nicola that they were standing quite close to each other. He reached up and delicately plucked a chunk of snow from her hair. She frowned, stepping away from him and brushing the excess snow from her clothes.

"I should have known it was you," she huffed, referring to the snowball that had accosted her.

Fred chuckled, "Technically it was George, but you're welcome to blame me if that makes you feel better."

Nicola glanced to her left, where George and Lee were currently bewitching snowballs to fly up and hit the windows of Gryffindor Tower. The edges of her lips curled as she tried to fight back a smile. She turned back to Fred to discover that he was staring at her intently, his eyebrow raised.

"Is that a smile?" he asked playfully.

Nicola's face shifted as she shot him a glare, "Believe it or not, Fred, I am capable of expressing a wide range of emotions. You and your brother just happen to frequently incite anger and suspicion from me."

"I can't imagine why," Fred teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Nicola made a show of rolling her eyes, "Right. Well let me know when you figure it out."

She turned to leave, but Fred reached out and grabbed her arm. Nicola tilted her head to look up at him. She couldn't quite place the expression on his face.

"Where are you going?"

She knitted her brow, "Not that it's any of your business, but I was going to skate on the lake."

"Want some company?" Fred asked.

"Uh…" Nicola was at a loss for words. She glanced back at George and Lee who were now attempting to sculpt a Hippogriff out of snow.

Fred followed her gaze, "They'll be fine by themselves."

"It's not them I'm worried about," Nicola admitted. She hadn't meant the statement to sound so cold, but the truth was she just didn't trust the twins. As Fred registered her words, Nicola swore she saw hurt flash in his eyes before it was replaced by his usual cheeriness.

"Fair enough," he replied, removing his hand from her arm and taking a step back, "Have fun skating."

"Thanks," Nicola mumbled, turning to continue her journey to the lake. She hazarded a glance over her shoulder, watching as Fred shoved his hands in his pockets and stomped back over to his brother and his friend.

"What was that about?" she wondered aloud. It seemed like her words had offended him, but that couldn't be right.

Nicola reached the lake and retrieved her wand from her robes. She pointed it at her shoes, deftly transfiguring them into ice skates. She smiled as she stepped cautiously out onto the ice. All thoughts of Fred were pushed to the back of her mind as she settled into a steady rhythm. She didn't notice his intense gaze following her as she skated around the other students on the lake.


	4. Christmas Holiday

**Chapter Four: Christmas Holiday**

December passed relatively quickly as most of the Seventh Years were buried in homework to prepare for their upcoming NEWTs. The entire school seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the Christmas holiday approached. Nicola was one of the few students staying at Hogwarts over the holiday, as most of them jumped at the opportunity to be somewhere without Umbridge and her ridiculous Educational Decrees for a couple of weeks.

Nicola sighed, staring blankly at the piece of parchment in front of her. She was sitting in one of the carved emerald chairs in the nearly empty Slytherin dungeon, her body hunched over a table.

"Bad news?" asked a voice to her left. Nicola was distracted from her contemplation as Tristan took a seat next to her.

She folded up the letter and shoved it back into its envelope, "It's just my father. There's an emergency at work, so we won't be having Christmas together this year."

"Well, if it's any consolation, my parents decided to take a vacation without me this year."

"That's a shame," Nicola replied, distracted.

Tristan shrugged, "I'm not too bothered by it. They're going to Egypt, and I much prefer a snowy Christmas."

Nicola forced her mouth into a friendly smile as she toyed with the edges of the envelope.

"This is the third year in a row he's used work as an excuse not to have Christmas together. Ever since mum died…" she said, tears shining in her eyes.

Tristan stared at her, surprised by her emotional outburst, "Um—"

"I'm sorry," she interrupted, "I have to go."

Nicola fought back a sob until she was safely shut away in her empty dormitory. As she cried into her bedspread, she found herself wishing for Clara again. Her friend always knew exactly what to say to calm her down.

When she felt like she couldn't cry anymore, Nicola shuffled to the bathroom to re-hydrate herself with a glass of water. She glanced in the mirror and frowned at her appearance. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red, and her cheeks were stained with tears. She sighed and wiped at her face; she definitely didn't want anyone to see her like this. Nicola gulped down the water and returned to her bed, snuggling under the covers and grabbing one of her romance novels. She was in desperate need of a distraction.

Nicola finally left her dormitory at dinnertime, her stomach vehemently protesting her attempt to shut herself away forever. She checked her appearance before leaving, satisfied that she no longer looked as if she had been crying. She entered the Great Hall, its vastness amplified by the distinct lack of students. Nicola made a beeline for the Slytherin table, occupied by Tristan and about five other students of varying ages. She took a seat across from Tristan and he tore himself away from his conversation with the Fifth Year boy next to him.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

Nicola nodded as she filled her plate with food, "Yes, thanks. Sorry I ran off earlier, I was a little—"

"No need to apologize," he interrupted, shooting her a reassuring smile. Nicola returned the smile and, as her stomach let out a particularly loud growl, started devouring her food.

After dinner, Nicola and Tristan talked and laughed together as they led the way back to the Slytherin Dungeon. They were nearly there when Nicola heard some of the students behind them gasp and giggle. She turned around to see a couple of Third Year girls pointing to something above her head. Glancing up, Nicola spotted a large sprig of mistletoe floating in the air. Her heart jumped into her throat as her gaze shifted to Tristan's face. He raised an eyebrow, the question clear in his hazel eyes. Nicola simply nodded in response.

Tristan smiled pleasantly as he reached a hand out to cup her chin. He tilted her head up to his and she closed her eyes as their mouths met. She barely registered the feel of his lips on hers and the faint smell of pumpkin before he pulled away. Nicola could feel a blush creep up her cheeks as Tristan's hand glided down her arm to intertwine his fingers with hers. He pulled her toward the Common Room and she smiled when she heard some of the students 'aw' behind them.

* * *

Nicola frowned as the wind whipped her hair around. She shook her head for the umpteenth time, attempting to free her face from her ivory locks. She would much rather have been curled up by the fire in the common room, but Tristan had insisted she come with him to watch yet another Slytherin Quidditch practice. They'd been dating for a month, ever since he kissed her over the holidays, and she was beginning to realize that they didn't have much in common. He absolutely adored Quidditch, whereas Nicola found it mind-numbingly boring. But watching it made him happy, so she had let him drag her to a couple of practices. At first she had tried to find some fun in the sport, but she kept getting distracted and almost always ended up daydreaming.

"That was a brilliant session!"

Nicola snapped out of her reverie. Tristan had stood up and was stretching his stiff muscles after sitting for so long. Nicola yawned as she gazed out onto the pitch. The sun was beginning to set and the Slytherin players were all headed to the changing rooms. On the other side of the field, the Gryffindor team was gearing up to start their practice.

Nicola stood up and grabbed Tristan's hand, letting him lead her out of the stadium.

"Did you see that block from Bletchley? That was brilliant," he was gushing as they reached the bottom of the staircase. Nicola smiled and nodded, though she had no idea what he was talking about. She shoved her other hand in her pocket and stopped suddenly, jerking Tristan to a halt.

He furrowed his brow at her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, "I just forgot something in the stands. I need to go get it."

"Do you want me to wait for you?"

Nicola waved him off, "No, you go on ahead. I'll catch up."

She stood on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek before doubling back to the pitch. She ran all the way back up the stairs, panting as she searched the stands.

"Looking for this?"

Nicola's head popped up from underneath one of the benches, her hair askew. Her eyes widened as they fell on Fred Weasley with one of her romance novels in his outstretched hand. She felt her cheeks burn as she stood slowly and nodded.

Fred studied the cover of the book, "A Lady of Circumstance?"

Nicola didn't respond, instead she took a step forward and reached for the book. Fred smirked, pulling it out of her grasp. He leafed through a few pages before his gaze settled back on Nicola.

"What exactly is a 'rake'?"

Nicola mumbled as she snatched at the book again, unsuccessfully.

Fred held a hand to his ear, "What was that?"

"I said it means 'womanizer'."

Fred raised his eyebrows, "Ah, so this _is_ a romance novel. Interesting."

Nicola glared at him as she pulled her wand from inside her robes and shouted, "Accio book!"

Fred was one step ahead of her, quickly flourishing his wand and casting a shield charm.

Nicola threw her hands up in exasperation, "Fred, can I please have my book back?"

"Not yet, I'd like to finish our conversation," he said, a signature glint in his eyes.

Nicola sighed, "It's a bit one sided, don't you think? And what are you even doing out here in the first place?"

"Just because I got kicked off the team doesn't mean I can't watch them practice. And let's not forget that both my brother and sister are on the team now."

"Fair point," Nicola replied. She slumped down on the nearest bench, resigning herself to the fact that Fred wasn't going to give her book back any time soon. He grinned, shoving the book in his pocket and plopping down next to her.

"So why romance novels? Is Parsons not enough of a man for you?" Fred asked.

Nicola rolled her eyes, "Tristan is fine. I was reading those books long before he and I started dating."

"Just fine, huh? Not amazing or incredible?" Fred made a show of clasping his hands together and leaning his head on them, his eyelashes fluttering.

Nicola tried to keep a straight face, but ended up giggling uncontrollably at him, ending in her letting out a very unladylike snort. Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands.

Fred beamed at her, "Did you just _snort?_ That was positively adorable."

"Oh shove off," Nicola said, elbowing him in the rib.

"Ow! That's not fair," Fred exclaimed, covering his side, "You have bony elbows."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You never answered my question," Fred stated. When Nicola raised an eyebrow at him, he continued, "About Tristan."

Nicola groaned, "Because it's none of your business, Fred. He's my boyfriend and I'm happy."

"Are you, though?" Fred inquired, his eyes dark.

Nicola huffed, "You know what? Keep the book. It might teach you something."

She left the stands as quickly as she could without running, anger pulsing through her veins.

"How dare he question my relationship choices!" she vented to no one in particular.

Nicola mumbled and cursed all the way back to the Slytherin dungeon, and her sour mood persisted the rest of the night.


	5. Valentine's Day

**Chapter Five: Valentine's Day**

Nicola practically jumped out of bed on the cloudy, grey morning of February 14th. She showered and dressed in a soft lilac jumper before putting on a splash of makeup. Twenty minutes later she was standing next to Clara's four poster bed, shaking her friend awake. Clara rolled over and groggily opened her eyes.

"It is way too early for whatever is happening right now," she groaned.

Nicola pouted, "This won't take very long, I promise."

"Fine, what is it?" Clara yawned, reluctantly extracting herself from her bed.

Nicola took a deep breath and twirled in a circle, "How do I look?"

Clara giggled, "You look precious. I can't believe this is your first ever Valentine's Day date."

"Is it weird that I'm a bit nervous?"

Clara shook her head, "You're gonna be fine. Now go have fun!"

Nicola rushed down to the common room and nearly ran into Tristan, who had been waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, hi!" she squeaked, "Ready to go?"

"Absolutely," Tristan chuckled.

The path to Hogsmeade was packed with other students and couples all making their way to the wizarding village for a bit of Valentine's Day fun. Nicola was walking next to Tristan, his arm slung casually over her shoulder. She frowned at the overcast sky, silently pleading with the clouds to disperse.

"Where should we go first?" Tristan asked, smiling down at her.

"I was thinking we could check Tomes and Scrolls for a couple of books I need."

Tristan grimaced, "Ugh, books make me think of all that homework we have due on Monday. How about we go to Spintwitches Sporting Needs instead? I heard they got the new Air Wave Gold in."

"Alright," Nicola reluctantly agreed, hoping she could convince him to accompany her to the bookstore after he got his Quidditch fix.

Thirty minutes later Tristan was still fawning over the ridiculously expensive broomstick and Nicola was hopelessly bored.

"See, they added this plate on top of the bristles so it's more aerodynamic!" Tristan gushed, pointing at a gold-colored piece of metal on the broom in front of him.

Nicola nodded, "That's great. Can we go now? I'm starving."

She hated sounding so disinterested, but she honestly couldn't take much more Quidditch talk if she wanted to stay sane.

Tristan furrowed his brow at her, "Are you not having fun?"

Nicola sighed, "I'm sorry, Tristan, I keep telling you I don't really like Quidditch."

"But… You've been to all the practices with me."

"Because I know how much it means to you. I like seeing you happy, but this is really not what I had in mind for our Valentine's Day date."

Tristan frowned, "I don't understand. You wanted to go to a bookstore and that would have been just as boring."

"I just wanted to pop in for a second to see if they had the books I need, it would have taken 5 minutes!" Nicola exclaimed, her hands balling up into fists at her sides.

Tristan stared at her, dumbfounded.

Nicola took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as she could, "Look, obviously we both had different ideas about how we wanted this to go. Let's just go to the Three Broomsticks and get some food, then we can do whatever."

"Well, I'm not that hungry, and there were still a few things in here that I wanted to look at." Tristan said, rubbing his neck and staring at the ground.

Nicola struggled to keep her composure as she said, "Alright, fine. I'll see you later, then."

A faint look of guilt crossed Tristan's face as Nicola turned on her heel and stalked out of the store. She was fighting back tears when the clouds overhead opened up and released a heavy rain to match her mood. Within minutes Nicola was soaked. She stood alone in the middle of the village, her tears mixing with the rain. She was so preoccupied with her misery she didn't notice Fred Weasley approach her.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

Nicola groaned, "Perfect timing. Are you here to debate my relationship some more? Because I am decidedly _not_ in the mood."

"I can see that," Fred stated as she fixed him with a glare, "Follow me."

When she didn't respond, Fred continued, "Look, its freezing out here and you're soaked through. Let me buy you lunch, it's the least I can do to make up for being such a git last week."

Nicola reluctantly followed Fred to the Three Broomsticks. Once inside, Fred waved his wand so that hot air streamed out of the tip and made quick work of drying both his and Nicola's robes. He pulled out a chair for her at a nearby table and motioned for her to sit. Nicola raised an eyebrow at him.

Fred sighed, "It's not a trick, just sit down and I'll get us some food."

Nicola did as he asked and Fred returned several minutes later with two heaping plates of food and two small glasses of amber liquid.

"Drink up," he said, finishing his drink in one gulp. Nicola followed suit, the liquid burned her throat on the way down.

She coughed, "Firewhiskey?"

"No better way to warm up, I say," Fred declared through a mouthful of Shepard's pie.

A small smile played at the edges of Nicola's mouth as she watched him attack his food. They ate in a companionable silence, encompassed by the background noise of the other pub patrons.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Fred asked when both of their plates had been emptied.

Nicola exhaled, putting her head in her hands. She had almost forgotten the reason she had been standing in the rain by herself. She glanced over at Fred, an honest sincerity present in his soft features.

"It's probably obvious, but Tristan and I had a bit of a fight. He wouldn't come to the bookstore with me, and instead he took me to look at a broom for half an hour and I got a little snippy with him and left. I can't tell you how many times I've told him I don't like Quidditch, but he keeps trying to drag me back into it. I suppose I put a lot of pressure on today to be perfect, because I've never had a Valentine's Day date and I wanted this one to be special. When it seemed like things were starting to go downhill I just abandoned ship."

Fred listened intently, and when Nicola finished he responded.

"It sounds like you just need to tell him that. He'll probably understand."

Nicola raised her eyebrows at him, "That's actually pretty good advice. Thanks for lunch, Fred, but I really should find Tristan, we have a lot to talk about. I'll see you around."

"You're welcome," Fred responded as she stood up, "And Nicola?"

"Yes?"

"Happy Valentine's Day."

Nicola shot him a smile and a hint of sadness shone in Fred's eyes as he watched her leave.


	6. The Fight and the Aftermath

**Chapter Six: The Fight and the Aftermath**

"If I hear you sigh one more time, I'm going to smack you."

Nicola snapped her mouth shut mid-sigh and turned to Clara with an eyebrow raised. They were in the middle of a Charms lesson and everyone was supposed to be practicing the Obscuro charm. When used properly, the spell affixed a magical blindfold to the victim's eyes.

Clara made a show of rolling her eyes, "It's been two weeks since Valentine's Day, and you're still miserable. You need to talk to Tristan."

"I did talk to him," Nicola pouted, "And he apologized."

"But you didn't address the problem. He may have apologized, but he's not going to change if you don't tell him what's really upsetting you."

Nicola glanced across the room where Tristan was sharing a table with a Ravenclaw girl. He waved his wand wildly and a scrap of fabric appeared on the girl's arm. He frowned and shrugged. Nicola sighed again, then flinched when Clara held her hand up.

"Sorry! You're right. I'm just afraid that we're going to have another fight."

Clara placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You have to stand up for yourself. If that means getting in a fight, I'd say it's worth it."

Nicola nodded resignedly. At the end of the lesson most of the students and Professor Flitwick left the classroom to head to the Great Hall for lunch. Nicola approached Tristan and grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving. He turned to her, a questioning gaze on his face. Nicola waited until the last of the students had left before she spoke.

"We need to talk," she said simply.

"About what?"

Nicola ran a hand through her hair nervously, "About us. I'm not happy with our relationship, and I think we should talk about how to make things better."

Tristan furrowed his brow, "I don't understand. Why aren't you happy?"

"A few reasons, actually," Nicola began pacing, "I feel like you don't listen to me, and we only do the things you want to do. It's like I don't have a say in this relationship. Does that make sense?"

"I guess."

"Okay, well do you think we could work on that kind of stuff? Could we try to fix things?"

Tristan rubbed his neck and stared at the ground silently.

"Tristan, do you want to work on this relationship or not?"

"Honestly? I don't," he admitted, still not meeting her eyes.

Nicola stopped pacing abruptly, "Excuse me?"

"This sounds like a lot of work," he replied, finally lifting his head, "I just wanted an easy relationship where we could hang out and watch Quidditch and stuff. It just seems like you're really complicated and I'd rather not deal with that. Plus we don't really have that much in common."

Tristan had the decency to look guilty as he stood in front of her, his hands in his pockets. Nicola could feel the anger rising inside her, burning a trail through her body. She whipped out her wand and in an instant the door to the classroom was slammed shut and she had cast a silencing charm on it.

She tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke, "So you're telling me that because I'm 'too complicated,' you'd rather abandon this relationship than try to work on it?"

Tristan nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I've got some news for you, arsehole. That's not how the real world works. You don't get to just back out because things are too hard. If you want something, you have to work for it."

"Yeah, but—"

"Shut up!" Nicola bellowed, "This is the part where I get to talk. I've let you walk all over me for too long. You are one of the most selfish men I've ever met. You took advantage of my generosity and used it for your own gain. I can't believe I let you drag me around like a little doll that does whatever you say. And of course when I spoke up about it all you did was apologize. Did you even try to fix things? No. Because it's too much work."

Nicola drew in a deep breath as she clenched her fists, her eyes flashing. She flourished her wand at Tristan and a long, thin rat's tail appeared, protruding from his robes.

Tristan balked, "What did you do to me?!"

"What you deserved," Nicola said, anger flashing in her eyes, "Now everyone will see you for the rat you are."

She ignored his plea for help as she opened the door with another flourish of her wand and left.

* * *

For the next week, Nicola avoided the Slytherin common room as much as she could. She wasn't afraid of seeing Tristan, but he still made her angry.

One such day found her wandering the student-filled courtyard in front of the castle. Her eyes were darting around rapidly, searching her surroundings for any sign of her now ex-boyfriend. As such, she wasn't looking where she was walking and soon collided with someone. Nicola gasped and fell backwards upon noticing that the student she had run into did not seem to have a head. She heard a familiar chuckle as the student wrapped an arm around her waist to catch her. He used his other hand to remove a now visible hat from his head, revealing none other than a grinning Fred Weasley.

"All right, Nicola?" he asked, letting go of her as she righted herself.

Nicola huffed and placed her hands on her hips, "I am, no thanks to you. You nearly scared the pants off me!"

Fred's smile broadened impossibly, his eyes twinkling, "Well I guess I'll just have to try harder next time."

Nicola glanced to her left where George was selling a similar-looking hat to a Third Year Hufflepuff boy and shook her head.

"You two are unbelievable," she said before pushing past Fred to continue her perusal of the courtyard.

She spotted Tristan talking to Adrian Pucey, a Chaser on the Slytherin team, near the back of the courtyard.

"Bollocks," Nicola muttered angrily under her breath, hurrying through a nearby door. She was wandering past a suit of armor on the second floor when Fred finally caught up with her.

"Hiya!" he smiled.

Nicola stopped walking, "What do you want, Fred?"

Fred shrugged off her snappy tone, "I haven't seen you around in a while. How are things?"

"Not great," she admitted, resigning herself to the fact that Fred wasn't going to leave her alone anytime soon. She perched on a nearby windowsill as he leaned nonchalantly against the wall so that he was facing her.

"And why is that?"

Nicola ran a hand through her hair, "I finally stood up for myself and told Tristan I wasn't happy. Instead of trying to work on our relationship, he decided I was 'too complicated' and tried to break things off. I got upset and gave him an earful. I've been doing my best to avoid him since."

"The rat tail was a nice touch," Fred smirked.

Nicola's eyes widened, "You knew?"

"Of course I did. The whole school knows. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Nicola didn't respond, instead lowering her eyes to the floor as she felt a blush creep up her cheeks. The spell had felt like a good idea in the moment, but when she had calmed down she thought she might have gone too far. Fred closed the distance between them and placed his hand on her chin, tipping her head up.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed. What you did was brilliant," he said softly.

Nicola felt her cheeks burn as she gazed up at him. They were so close she could count the freckles on his face. A few strands of ginger hair fell in front of his cocoa-colored eyes. She saw an emotion in them that she couldn't quite place. She opened her mouth to ask him about it, but she seemed to have lost her voice. His hand left her chin and snaked around to the back of her neck, leaving a trail of heat on her skin.

Suddenly Fred's mouth was on hers and she lost all control. His lips were soft and his kiss was hesitant, as if he was afraid of scaring her off. Nicola kissed him back fervently, breathing in his sweet cinnamon scent. She clutched at the front of his robes for support, as though she would fall into some unknown abyss if she let go.

A distant sound brought Nicola back to her senses and she pulled away from Fred abruptly.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a concerned look on his face.

Nicola stood up and backed away from him, "I'm so sorry Fred. I can't do this."

"Nicola, wait!" he yelled after her as she turned and ran toward the dungeons.


	7. Fireworks

**Chapter Seven: Fireworks**

Nicola was perched on a plush armchair in a corner of the library sequestered by bookshelves. She had attempted to read the same paragraph in an Ancient Runes textbook multiple times in the last ten minutes, but her mind kept drifting to other things. Giving in, she closed her eyes and absentmindedly ran a finger over her lips. She could still vividly remember the feel of Fred's mouth on hers. She sighed involuntarily.

"Thinking about me?"

Nicola jumped, nearly falling out of her chair as the textbook tumbled to the floor. Fred Weasley was leaning lazily against a nearby bookshelf, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Nicola quickly hid her surprise behind a scowl, "You wish."

"I do," Fred countered, pushing off the shelf and making his way toward her. The look in his eyes made Nicola squirm, it was an intensity she had never seen from him before. Part of her wanted to run as far away from him as she could. The other part of her, against her better judgment, wanted to feel his lips on hers again, if only for a moment.

"You've been avoiding me," he teased, settling into the chair opposite hers.

Nicola crossed her arms over her chest, "So what if I have?"

"I want to know why."

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, his eyes probing hers for an answer. It was true, she'd been avoiding him since he'd kissed her in the hallway. The feelings he'd elicited from her were too much to handle on the heels of her break up with Tristan. She'd wanted a few days to sort through everything in her mind, but it hadn't helped. She was still just as confused, and simply being around him made her nervous. Fred frowned as he watched her, the emotional struggle evident on her face.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, his voice marked with sincerity.

Nicola shook her head, fighting to keep her composure. She stood up suddenly, grabbing the book at her feet. She strode silently to a shelf and placed the book back where she'd found it. She took a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts. Soon she felt a gentle tug on her shoulder, and turned to face Fred. He was close, too close. His gaze washed over her, his genuine concern melting her reserve.

"I'm sorry," she apologized with a half-hearted smile, "I just…I needed time to process everything."

"There's no need to apologize. I shouldn't have kissed you like that out of nowhere."

Nicola bit her lip, "Why _did_ you kiss me?"

"Because I wanted to," he replied with a grin. Nicola blushed as Fred reached out, separating a lock of her ivory hair and twirling it around his finger.

"And I'm afraid I've created a problem for myself," he continued, "Because I can't stop thinking about the way your hair feels between my fingers."

He took a step forward, pinning Nicola against the bookshelf. She could feel her heart thudding in her chest.

"You smell like vanilla, did you know that?"

Nicola shook her head, unable to speak. She could see passion, barely contained, in his dark brown eyes. Fred abandoned his hair twirling, opting instead to place his hands on the bookshelf on either side of Nicola.

He closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, "It's intoxicating."

Nicola contemplated the man in front of her, reining himself in because he didn't know how she felt about him. He seemed so different from the boy she disliked all these years for playing tricks on her. He'd kissed her, and in that moment made her feel wanted as no other man ever had. He made her forget all about Tristan and his single-minded selfishness. She placed a gentle hand on his face and his eyes fluttered open.

"Fred," she breathed, her voice barely more than a whisper, "Kiss me again."

Her words were all the encouragement he needed. This kiss was infinitely more intense than their last. His hands roamed her body, finally settling on her hips. He drew her to him as if she might fly away if he let go. Her senses clouded as she buried her fingers in his messy ginger hair. She opened her mouth to him and their tongues met, teasing each other. Nicola could feel the fire build within her as everything else melted away. She briefly wondered how it was possible for anyone to make her feel this way before she lost herself in his embrace.

* * *

For the next few weeks they continued their relationship in private, snogging in broom closets and empty classrooms whenever they could. Fred would constantly interrupt Nicola's studying in the library and they would end up talking for hours, but she found she didn't mind the distraction. They couldn't get enough of each other, and Nicola couldn't help but smile and shrug whenever Clara asked her what had gotten into her lately.

Then one day at the beginning of April the whole school was buzzing as rumors spread that Umbridge and the Minister of Magic had tried to capture Dumbledore, only to have him escape from right under their noses. Things around Hogwarts became even more hectic when an explosion rocked the castle while everyone was at lunch that day. Someone had set off an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks on the first floor that wreaked havoc on the school for the rest of the day.

That night in the Slytherin common room, Nicola was too restless to study. Fred had slipped her a note during Transfiguration to meet him at the top of the Astronomy Tower at midnight.

"Hello?"

Nicola jerked back as Clara waved a hand in front of her face.

"Sorry, what?"

Clara rolled her eyes, "Nevermind. You're so distracted tonight, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I promise. It's just been a crazy day, you know?"

Clara chuckled, "Yes it has. Obviously we're both not feeling up to studying tonight, so let's just forget it."

"Sounds good!" Nicola smiled. Her smile quickly turned into a frown, however, when a group of boys entered the common room. Raising an eyebrow, Clara turned to follow her gaze and groaned when she recognized the group.

"Fantastic," Clara stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "It's the Inquisitorial Squad, here to save us all from ne'er-do-wells."

Nicola grumbled, "Bunch of power-hungry idiots. Acting like that fancy badge gives them the right to be gits."

"I think it's pretty obvious they're all compensating for something," Clara insinuated, before both she and Nicola erupted into a fit of giggles.

The grandfather clock in the corner of the room chimed, barely audible over the dull roar of conversation in the room. Nicola jumped up and threw her books in her school bag as quickly as she could.

"Can you take these up to the dormitory?" she asked Clara, "I have to go do something."

"What in Merlin's name do you have to do at eleven forty-five on a Monday night?"

Nicola fidgeted, "I can't tell you right now, but I promise it's important."

Clara folded her arms over her chest, "Does this have anything to do with why you've been so cheery the last few weeks? And why I've barely seen you lately?"

Nicola sighed, she felt bad lying to her friend, but she didn't want to spill her secret in the middle of the common room where anyone could hear.

"Yes, it does. And I promise I'll tell you everything tomorrow. Just take my bag up, please?" Nicola added a pout for good measure.

"Fine, but this had better be good."

"Oh, it is. Trust me."

Twenty minutes later Nicola was panting as she climbed the spiral staircase to the top of the Astronomy Tower. She reached the top and spotted a familiar crop of ginger hair.

"Sorry I'm late," she said between heavy breaths, "I had to duck into an alcove to avoid Mrs. Norris."

As she took a moment to catch her breath, Nicola surveyed her surroundings. A small blanket was stretched out on the stone floor, and on top of it were a box of chocolates and two bottles of Butterbeer. Next to it all, grinning like a madman, was Fred Weasley.

"What is all this?" she asked, stepping toward him. Fred took her hands in his as one of the enchanted fireworks whizzed past the tower.

"Think of it as a romantic picnic under the fireworks."

"Am I right in assuming you are the cause of said fireworks?"

Fred winked in response, dragging her down to sit with him on the blanket. They clinked their Butterbeers together in cheers and he offered her a chocolate. She bit into the rich milk chocolate and moaned in delight when she discovered a cherry in the center.

"That good, huh?" Fred teased.

Nicola nodded and shamelessly grabbed another, "Cherry cordials are my favorite."

"Good to know," Fred fiddled with the label on his bottle nervously, "I have to admit that I had an ulterior motive for this little impromptu picnic."

"What's that?" Nicola asked through a mouth full of chocolate.

He grabbed her hand and stroked her knuckles with his thumb, "I thought it might cheer you up."

Nicola furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"

"Oh come off it, you were in a sour mood all day until I slipped you that note. And as much as I'd love to believe it's because we haven't snogged in a few days," he paused to waggle his eyebrows suggestively, "I'm smarter than that. I saw you get a letter from the owl post at breakfast."

As much as she hated to admit it, Fred was right. She'd completely forgotten about the letter after he slipped her the note. Nicola sighed, taking another swig of Butterbeer.

"It was from my father," she admitted, "He's not coming to graduation. He just keeps doing this, throwing himself into work ever since—"

Nicola felt tears prick her eyes. Fred squeezed her hand, urging her to continue.

She stared at the floral pattern of the blanket underneath them as she spoke, "Three years ago my mum died in a car accident. She was a muggle, and my dad's a wizard. He's a lot like your father, actually. Fascinated with muggle things. I suppose that was mum's doing. She loved introducing him to new things and seeing that look of wonder on his face. He has this shelf in the living room covered with little figurines of unicorns she used to buy from thrift shops. He always said it was just like the two of them: the perfect mix of muggle and magic."

Nicola's tears were flowing freely, but she continued, "Ever since she died he's been working entirely too much. He told me last summer that he's afraid of what will happen if he stops. He doesn't want to grieve, he wants to forget. He's worked through the last three Christmases and I barely see him when I'm home for the summer. I just want my father back, even if he's a mess."

Fred pulled her into an embrace and she sobbed gently into his jumper. He combed his fingers through her hair soothingly.

"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how you're feeling."

After a few minutes Nicola pulled back, sniffling. Fred reached out and placed a gentle hand on her cheek, wiping away some of her tears.

"Nicola...You are one of the strongest and bravest witches I've ever met, and I know you'll make it through this."

She smiled weakly, "Thank you, Fred. Just talking about it makes me feel a bit better."

Fred grabbed her chin and placed a quick kiss on her lips, "Anytime, gorgeous. Now, are you going to finish these chocolates or what?"

Nicola giggled and gladly plucked a chocolate from the box he shoved in her face.


	8. Graduation

**Chapter Eight: Graduation**

As promised, Nicola told Clara about her relationship with Fred. She was surprised, but very supportive, and willing to keep it a secret. It wasn't that the two of them were ashamed of their relationship; they just didn't want their fun to be tarnished by judgmental students and House politics.

The rest of April and the Easter Holiday passed rather uneventfully. The beginning of May was signaled by notices on the House bulletin boards for Fifth and Seventh Years to attend career advice and placement meetings with their Head of House.

"I swear Snape almost smiled when I told him I still want to be a Potion Brewer," Nicola remarked as she joined Clara in the hallway just outside the dungeons. Their meetings had been held during class, so there were very few students in the corridors as they walked.

Clara chuckled, "Of course he did, you're the top of the class. If he were capable of human emotion, I'd say he's probably proud of you."

"He's capable of emotions, he just doesn't like to show them."

"If you say so. He didn't have any sort of reaction when I told him I still want to be a healer. He just nodded and handed me the necessary paperwork," Clara lamented.

"Maybe that's because healers are boring," Nicola teased.

Clara scowled, "Oh yeah? Well maybe I won't help you out next time you get hurt."

Nicola was about to respond when she spotted the Weasley twins strolling out of Professor McGonagall's office.

"Hiya!" Nicola greeted, rushing up to Fred, "How'd your meetings go?"

Fred shrugged, "Pretty much as expected."

"McGonagall's not too happy about us opening a joke shop," George added.

"She thinks we could really accomplish something if we apply ourselves."

George snorted, "Like we'd ever do that."

"Leave it to you two to never take anything seriously," Clara responded, rolling her eyes.

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Fred winked, before turning to Nicola, "Can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Nicola nodded and let Fred lead her around a corner, out of earshot.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Everything is fine, I just wanted to tell you something," Fred admitted. It seemed like he was having a hard time getting the words out. He ran a hand through his messy ginger hair.

"George and I are planning something big for today, just after lessons. There's a pretty definite chance we'll get caught this time, and if we do... We're leaving."

Nicola furrowed her brow, "Leaving?"

"Yeah, leaving. Like taking off and never coming back."

"But what about your NEWTs?"

Fred shrugged, "We don't need them. We've got a place in Diagon Alley and we're going to start working on our joke shop."

"What about us?" Nicola asked, placing her hand into his. Fred brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"I'll write you as often as I can. It's only two months, then you'll graduate and I promise I'll be at the ceremony."

Nicola nodded as her whole body went numb. She knew this wasn't the end, but it certainly felt like it. Fred placed a hand on her chin and tilted her head up to his.

"Can I get a kiss for the road?" he grinned cheekily.

Nicola couldn't help but smile. If this was going to be their last kiss for a while, she was going to make it memorable. He raised his eyebrows as she grabbed his robes and pushed him against the wall. She stood on her tiptoes and smashed her lips against his. She let all of her emotion seep into the kiss, wondering if he could feel the sadness inside her tinged with hope for the future. He buried his hands in her hair and breathed in her scent. They both savored this kiss, praying it wouldn't be their last.

She tried not to cry that night as she watched Fred and George fly away from the castle on their broomsticks.

* * *

Homework became a welcome distraction for Nicola in the following weeks as their NEWTs drew closer. Fred wrote to her often, telling her all about their progress on the shop and their various new products. She wrote back, telling him all about the chaos students were causing in his and his brother's absence.

May bled into June and the students buzzed with nervous energy as they prepared for their OWLs and NEWTs. Over the next two weeks the Fifth and Seventh Years had their theory exams in the mornings and practice exams in the afternoons.

The day after the end of exams, news spread throughout the castle that Umbridge had been attacked in the Forbidden Forest and that Dumbledore was back. The students rejoiced and enjoyed a few days free of classes before the end of the year feast was upon them. Due to the events of the past month with Umbridge and the Inquisitorial Squad, Dumbledore decided not to award the House Cup out of fairness. Instead he gave a moving speech about inter-House unity and cooperation in light of the events at the Ministry of Magic and the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

As was tradition, the First and Seventh Years left the feast early to gather at the dock and await the enchanted boats. Nicola fidgeted restlessly as she watched the First Years climb into the boats.

"Calm down, will you?" Clara said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

Nicola sighed, "Sorry, I just can't wait to see Fred. I've missed him."

"You don't say?" Clara teased, "Well, you can always swim across the lake if the boats are too slow for you."

Nicola rolled her eyes, "Brilliant idea. I'd love to graduate soaked and freezing."

"It's not _that_ cold out," Clara noted, as Hagrid sailed away with the First Years.

Soon a second set of boats floated toward the dock and the Seventh Years boarded in groups of four. Nicola and Clara were joined by Roger Davies and his pretty blonde girlfriend. There was idle chit-chat as they sailed across the lake, its black surface glittering in the moonlight. As they neared the shore, Nicola searched the crowd of people for any sign of Fred. They disembarked and Nicola finally caught a glimpse of ginger hair. She offered a quick goodbye to Clara, promising to meet up soon, and all but ran to Fred's side. She stopped short when she recognized the man standing beside him.

His blue eyes were tired and he had a few more wrinkles lining his face than the last time she saw him, but it was definitely her father. He had a shy grin on his face and he was holding out his arms to her. Nicola's eyes pricked with tears as she stumbled toward him and hugged him as tightly as she could. She breathed in his familiar scent as she felt his arms wrap around her. She felt more comfortable and safe than she had in a long time.

"I've missed you," she mumbled into his robes, and felt the rumble in his chest as he laughed in response.

"I've missed you too, Nic."

She smiled at the pet name he used for her and reluctantly pulled away from his embrace. She sniffed gently and wiped the tears from her face.

"I thought you weren't coming."

He glanced at Fred, who stood silently with an encouraging smile on his face.

"I wasn't, and I'm sorry. A few weeks ago this young man came to my office at the Ministry and told me how you felt about me not attending your graduation. I know I've been pushing myself hard lately, but I had no idea it was hurting you so much. You never said anything."

Nicola tried her best not to cry again, "I didn't want to worry you. You have enough on your plate."

He shook his head and took her hands in his, "I think you get that quality from me. I've been afraid to stop working, because when I do everything just comes crashing down again. I thought if I could be strong for you, then you would be better off."

Nicola choked back a sob as she looked at his pained expression, "I don't want someone strong, I just want my father back."

"I know that now," he squeezed her hands lovingly, "When I look at you, I'm reminded so much of your mother. You're so beautiful and brave. But we don't have to be brave for each other all the time, we just have to be honest."

Nicola nodded and they embraced again. She was so happy she felt as though her heart could burst at any moment.

"I'm taking some time off this summer. I know it's not much, but it's a start. We can spend some time together while you look for an apprenticeship," he glanced at Fred again and smiled, "I'll let you two catch up. I love you, and I'll see you at home."

"I love you too!" Nicola beamed as he kissed her lightly on the cheek and left them alone. He was barely gone when Nicola rushed at Fred, nearly knocking him over with a hug. Fred laughed and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. They stood still for a moment, enjoying each other's presence and warmth.

Nicola broke the silence, "I can't believe you did that for me."

"I would swallow a dungbomb for you if it meant I could make you happy," Fred responded, chuckling when Nicola scrunched her nose at his imagery. He placed a hand on her chin, tilting her head up to his.

"My heart broke when I saw you so distraught that night in the tower. I made myself a promise that I would do whatever it took to fix it and make you happy again."

"You've made me happier than I've been in a long time. I can't thank you enough."

Nicola stood on her tiptoes, closing the distance between them. Her lips skimmed his briefly before his hand found the nape of her neck and they crashed together. Their mouths met desperately, their time apart had only made them more hungry for each other. Fred slowly moved away from her mouth to trace his lips over her jaw and neck.

"Fred," Nicola breathed, "I love you."

She felt him grin against the soft skin of her collarbone before he nibbled at it playfully.

"I love you too."

Nicola smiled, bathed in moonlight, and couldn't recall a time when the world seemed more perfect than this moment.

 **THE END**

* * *

A/N: And there you have it! Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story and left reviews, you're all wonderful. I've always loved Nicola as a character and just recently I thought it might be fun to explore more of her backstory, so that was the inspiration for this story. I'm already bouncing around ideas in my brain about a sequel, so we'll see if I'm up to writing it!


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